for more information about grams of the press club, logon to press.org. we hear are also a part of the constitution, we are adjourned. [applause] >>. [inaudible conversation] >> the u.s. senate will return to session at 2:15

eastern to debate the nomination of ryan thinking of montana to be the next secretary. confirmation book become as late as 2:00 in the morning tomorrow. this evening, senators joining house number here to hear president trump's first address to congress and later in the week, health and energy territory nominations are on the agenda. utah republican or in hash talk to c-span about his role as a designated survivor during the previous state of the union address as whirring during president trump's inauguration. he explained his role as president pro tem. >> senator hatch, you are designated survivor for former president obama's last state of the union and for the inauguration last month of president trump. what is the purpose of the designated survivor at gatherings like the state of the union or in this case and address to the joint session of congress. >> i'm going to say there was this in a number of lines of the presidency ., then you

should want to have somebody who is a direct line, ready to take the work you believe it's important? >> i think it's an extremely important but i doubt that's never going to happen but the fact of the matter is you never know in this day and age and the day and age of terrorism, you can't be too sure. you have very good methodologies of checking the area scout and the people involved and so forth so it's very unlikely but you have to be prepared. >> in 2016 for president obama's state of the union, you were picked along with then da press secretary jay johnson. why were you both asked for that? >> i don't rightfully understand. i would have been in the line for the presidency had the catastrophe occurred.same thing this year when they were i think very concerned

that there could be some terrorist incident or a number of people could be killed. that's why we had tremendous military and fbi and national security work being done all around that particular inauguration. >> you are referring to you being picked as a designated spot, do you think that was a rationale for both? >> it was an honor for me. i'd like to be there for the inauguration . i don't think i've ever missed one except this year and it was, the last thing, i think i'd be privileged to do it. >> you are third in line to be the president. do you think that has something to do with it? >> it has a lot to do with it because the chair would like to have things work out, it's tough to think the person, this is the first in line and

remove them from the facility that they're holding me the inauguration so yes, it was an honor for me and it was a necessary approach that they take in order to affect the country and make sure we have a continued succession in ways that would be very helpful to the country. if some new catastrophe occurred. >> where do you go when you are the designated survivor >> one of the things that i know , there are two others with me.>> you can't tell, why is that? >> i guess they don't want anybody to know the methodologies that they use. because there are evil people in this world who could cause great havoc. i think it's just a matter of circumspection, knowing what you're doing and making sure

that nobody can interfere with what you're doing. >> are there rules to being the designated survivor that they tell you about, that they brief you about? >> they have some rules. you're basically taken away so that if anything disastrous happens, you can be brought back in good shape. so the rules are, you just don't talk about it. i did in this case have my wife go with me, she's more protective of not talking about it than i am. i think she actually enjoyed being on this journey. >> the set senate president pro tem, how is it that you are elected to be in that position? >> it's a matter of seniority. i'm the president pro tem of the senate and that naturally falls in line with how the

vice president and the speaker of the house. >> why do you think that this position is needed in the senate? >> i couldn't hear you. >> why you think that position is needed, the senate pro tem? >> it's a time honored position in the senate, in the whole senate procedural mechanism and it's needed because of the variety of things the senate president pro tem does. this room is the office and i meet with cal countless people in this room. mainly foreign-policy people but more than that, they come to see me because they know that i'm president pro tem and i guess they think i have some influence in helping the projects or problems that they have. >> what are your responsibilities? x well, i think it depends on

being president pro tem. if you don't take it seriously, not a heck of a lot but if you take it seriously there are a lot of responsibilities, especially meeting with ambassadors and other heads of state and various people in the military and so forth from other countries that need to meet with some official in the government and sometimes that high official turns out to be the president pro tem. >> being third in line to succeed the president, are you briefed about what's happening in the world? are you kept up-to-date constantly because you could succeed the president? >> i'm pretty well kept up-to-date as a us senator but yes, they do that i'm sure it would be even more intense if something disastrous happened so you know, we have to say and concentrate on what's going on. >> do you ever think about if

something happened to the president or vice president if you were to become president? >> you would think about it. not really. i'd have to really be an absolute disaster to get as far down the line as the president pro tem of the senate. that's pretty far down the line but still, that has never happened in the history of our country and i hope it never happens. >> senator hatch, thank you. >> nice to be with you. >> this week, from alex mo of nbc news related to the president's speech tonight, congressman eliot engel will announce for the first time in his 29 years here he will not stand on the isle to shake the president of the united states hand during the joint session tonight. now here's attorney general jeff sessions speaking this morning at the national association of attorney general winter meeting. >>. [applause]